Self-rotating wood cutting tooth

Abstract

A self-rotating saw tooth and associated mount assembly for use in wood cutting, for example with the saw disc on a feller buncher. Each saw tooth configured to rotate about its own axis of rotation responsive to contact with wood during cutting. A saw disc specially configured for use with the self-rotating saw teeth.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A cutting system comprising:
 a generally circular, rotatable saw disc having a periphery and a disc plane of rotation; 
 a plurality of mounting tangs evenly spaced around the periphery of the saw disc; 
 a circular cutting tooth having a cutting edge to cut material as the saw disc is rotated, the cutting tooth being removably and rotatably mounted to each of the mounting tangs by a saw disc mounting system including:
 a mounting tang bore defined in each of the mounting tangs, the mounting tang bore extending generally tangentially with respect to the rotation of the saw disc and terminating at a generally radially extending tang tooth face; 
 a bolt positioned within each of the mounting tang bores; 
 an adaptor plate having a centrally-disposed aperture, the adaptor plate being positioned on the bolt with the bolt passing through the aperture, and having a first face abutting the tang tooth face and a second face wherein the first and second adaptor faces are inclined with respect to each other; 
 a retainer that defines a retainer aperture, the retainer being positioned on the bolt with the bolt passing through the retainer aperture, the retainer being mounted in abutment with the adaptor plate; and 
 wherein the cutting tooth is rotatably mounted to the retainer so that as the saw disc is rotated to cut material, the cutting tooth will rotate on the retainer and a different portion of the cutting edge engages the workpiece as the cutting tooth rotates while the saw disc rotates. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The saw disc of  claim 1  wherein the cutting tooth is replaceable by removing the retainer and the cutting tooth, fitting a replacement cutting tooth on the retainer, and mounting the retainer to the bolt. 
     
     
       3. The saw disc of  claim 1  wherein the retainer is threaded onto the bolt. 
     
     
       4. The saw disc of  claim 1  wherein the first face of the adaptor plate is perpendicular to the mounting tang bore. 
     
     
       5. The saw disc of  claim 4  wherein the tang tooth face is perpendicular to the mounting tang bore. 
     
     
       6. The saw disc of  claim 1  wherein each of the mounting tang bores extending tangentially with respect to the rotation of the saw disc and not radially outwardly. 
     
     
       7. The saw disc of  claim 1  wherein the adaptor plate second face has an undercut portion that receives the retainer. 
     
     
       8. The saw disc of  claim 1  wherein the retainer is stationary with respect to the saw disc when the saw disc is operating. 
     
     
       9. The saw disc of  claim 1  wherein the bolt and the cutting tooth have axes, and the axis of the cutting tooth is offset with respect to the axis of the bolt. 
     
     
       10. The saw disc of  claim 9  wherein the retainer has an axis that is coincident with the axis of the bolt. 
     
     
       11. The saw disc of  claim 1  wherein the retainer is generally conical and the cutting tooth defines a generally conical internal opening complementing the configuration of the retainer. 
     
     
       12. The saw disc of  claim 11  wherein the bolt and the retainer have proximal and distal ends in which the distal ends extend toward the cutting tooth, and wherein the larger end of the generally conical retainer and the larger end of the generally conical internal opening of the cutting tooth are distally disposed. 
     
     
       13. A cutting system comprising:
 a generally circular, rotatable saw disc with at least one mounting tang having a tangentially-extending bore with a bolt positioned within the bore along a bore axis; 
 a circular cutting tooth having an internal opening through which the bolt extends; and 
 a cutting tooth mounting system for mounting the circular cutting tooth to the mounting tang, the cutting tooth mounting system including: 
 an adaptor plate defining a centrally-disposed aperture, the adaptor plate being positioned on the bolt with the bolt passing through the aperture, and having a first face abutting the mounting tang and a second face wherein the first and second adaptor faces are inclined with respect to each other; 
 a generally conical retainer defining a retainer aperture, the retainer aperture being disposed offset with respect to the bore axis such that the retainer is asymmetrically mounted with respect to the bore axis when mounted on the bolt; and 
 wherein the internal opening in the cutting tooth is generally conical and complementing the configuration of the retainer, the cutting tooth being rotatably and removably mounted to the retainer such that the cutting tooth is offset in such a manner that causes the cutting tooth to rotate responsive to contact with material as the saw disc rotates. 
 
     
     
       14. The system of  claim 13  in which the retainer is threaded onto the bolt.